Igniter for gas-engines.



No. 628,448. Patented July Il, |899.

C. 0. CARLSON.

IGNITER F03 GAS ENGINES.

Y Application led May 7, 1898.)

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No. 628,448. Patented July Il, |899.

. 0. CARLSUN.

lGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

[Application led May 7, 1898.)

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NITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE.

CHARLES O. CARLSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE MAXVELL l VVYETH & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IGVNITER FORGAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,448, dated July 11, 1899. Application filed May 7I 1893. `Serial No. 679,971. (No model.)

T caf/ZZ wlwnt t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. CARLSON, a resident of New York, in the county of Ne7 York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Igniters for Gas-Engines and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. y

My invent-ion relates to electric igniters Vfor Io gas-engines- T he object of my invention is to provide a simple and durable form of electric igniter which will be positive in its action, so that there is no liability of the engine missing fire i 5 or its speed being affected thereby.

To these ends my invention comprises the novel construction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of the lower portion of an inverted type of gas-engine of any suitz5 able construction with my improved igniter.

applied thereto, the parts being partly shown in section. Fig. la is a detail view showing an enlarged front view of the tripping mechanism. Fig. 2a is an enlarged side view of the tripping mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side View. Fig. 3 is a plan view, enlarged, of the cam and its immediate connections. Fig. l is a face view of the cam. Fig. 5 is a side view. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6, Fig. 4, looking in direction of arrow 6. Fig. 7 is a like view looking in direction of arrow 7. Fig. 8 is a modiiied form of my invention as applied to a regular vertical or horizontal engine. Fig. 9 is a side viewof same, the cylinder being 4o partly broken away. Figs. lO and l1 are views of the cam.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each view. The letter a designates the engine-bed, to 45 which is bolted the frame a', which supports the cylinderb. This cylinder bis surrounded with the customary water-jacket b' and has a stufling-box'b?, a suitable piston, and the proper connections therefor, none of which 5o form anypart of my invention and which do not call for a detailed description.,

- A shaft c, journaled in suitablebearings, is operated by the pitmanc, connected to the cross-head c2, (shown in dotted lines,) which n works in suitable guides on the outside of the cylinder. Mounted on the shaft c is the cam d, which has two cam-faces d' d2. The camface d is on the periphery of the cam, while the cam-'face d2 is formed on the side of said cam. Innthis manner I provide a double cam 6o which can impart movement in two directions.

Mounted in suitable bearings e' is the shafte, said shaft not only being free to turn or rock in its bearings, but having also a longitudinal movement therein. Secured to the outer end of the shaft e is .the rocker-arm f, the lower en d f of which is in contact with the peripheral cam-face d. A spring g, interposed between the bearing e and the rockerarm f, provides for this constant contact be- 7o tween said arm and the cam-face d. The rocker-arm f has the horizontal extension f2 extending out from the lower end thereof, said extension having the bolt or pin f3, whose head f4 is held in contactwith the cam-face 75 cl2 by means of the spring f5. A vstud ffi on the bolt j"3 `engages a slot f7 in the extension f2 to permit of the movement of the bolt.

Rigidly secured to the inner end of the shaft e is the tripping-arm h, said arm having the 8o projection h. A rod t', resting with its lower end in a seat in the frame, has its upper end fitting in a recess in `the `projection h. A spring 'i' is interposed between the fixed collar i? on the rod z' and the movable washer fis. 85 By this construction the projection h' is normally held up in a horizontal position, and thus acts to hold the eXtensionf2 of the rockerarm fin contact with the 'side cam-face d2. The lower face of the washer 3 is rounded to 9o permit of its adj ustingitself to the movement of the arm 7L and projectiont.

At the upper end of the tripping-arm 7L is the trip lo, which is adapted to come in contact with and operate the lever L'. This lever '95 Z is secured to the outer end of the shaft fm, which passes through the walls of the cylinder and has the electrode m at the inner end thereof. A spring m2 is interposed between the lever l and the cylinder to 4allow said4 leroo ver to yield slightly in case it be necessaryin bringing the arm 7L into position back of said lIo lever, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The lever Z has the arm Z,adapted to engage the stop n when the electrodes are'not in contact, and also the arm Z2, to which is pivoted the rod o. This rod o passes through the guide o', and Aa springe2 is interposed between said guide and a shoulder os on said rod. The action of this spring is to hold the arm Z normally in contact with the stop aand the electrode m out of engagement with the stationary electrode p. Y

The operation of my im proved igniter when Iin use is as follows: VViththe parts inthe position shown in Fig. l the trip Za has just tripped the lever Z and allowed said lever to resume its normal position. This movement of the lever has broken the cont-act formed between the electrodes, and a yspark has just occurred to cause an explosion in the cylinder. The highest point on the cam-face CZ is nowv in contact with the lower` end f' of the rockerarm f, so that the shaft e is forced back to throw the upper end of tripping-arm 7L beyond the lever Z. In the meantime the lowest point of the side cam-face d2 is in contact with th'e extension f2 of the rocker-arm. Now as the 'shaft c continues to revolve the lowest point on the cam-face CZ" comes into contact with the lower end f of rocker-arm f. vrlhis relieves the pressure on the shaft e, and as the spring g returns said shaft to its normal position the trip 71: at the upper'end of the trip-v ping-arm h passes back of the lever Z, as shown in Figs. la and 2a. Just as soon as the highest point of the cam-face CZ passes beyond the lower end of the rocker-arm to produce the above result the high part of theV side cam-face d? begins to move in contact with the extension f2 of the rockerarm. This causes therocker-ar'm to rock to one side, and through the shaft e the tripping-arm h, carrying the trip 7o, is moved. The trip lc advances into contact with 'the lever Z and by its further movement throws said lever over in such position as to bring the electrode m' into contact with the electrode p. These electrodes remain in contact until the highest point of the peripheral cam-face d' reaches the lower end f of the rocker-arm f, whereupon the trip it is forced away from the lever Zand said lever springs back to its normal position with a quick positive movement,

causing the electrodes to break and create a strong spark to ignite the gas in the cylinder and cause the explosion of same. By this quick sudden tripping of the lever Z when thev electrodes are in contact the separation is s o rapid that a positive and powerful spark is obtained just at the desired instant, so as to positively ignite the whole charge each time.

InFigs. 8, 9, dro., I have illustrated a modi-` ied form of my invention as applied tothe ordinary upright or horizontal type of engines. The shaft r has the cam r' thereon, which has the peripheralcam-face r2 and the side cam-face r3. The cam-face r2 engages the extension s on the arm s, said arm being secured to the vertical shaft t. The cam-face r3 engages the lower end s2 of the arm s. The shaft t is journaled in bearings 7'/ and is not only free to turn therein, but is also free to move longitudinally therein. A sp1ingt2,in terposed between the bearing and the arm s, acts to normally force the shaft t down with the extension s in contact with the periphery r2'of the cam 'fr, while the spring Z3 on the rod t4 acts to force the arm s into contact with the side cam-face r3. The rod Z4 is supported in the guide t5,the outer end of said rod fitting in a seat in the collar t6 on the Vshaft t, saidl seat being off ythe center of said collar, and

thus acting to resist the tnrningof .said shaft by the action of the cam-face r3, as will more fully hereinafter appear. At the upper end of theshaft t is the trip u, which is adapted.

to engage the lever o. c, This lever fu is secured to the shaft w, which enters the cylinder and which has the electrode w' secured thereto. A spring 'u' on the bolt o2 acts to force said lever normally up atone end against the stop o3, so that the electrode lw' will normally be out of contact with.- the stationary electrode 2v2.

The operation of the modified form of vmy `invention is as follows: The highestpoint of the peripheral cam-face rcom'in g around into contact with the extension s of the arm' s, will act to elevate Vthe shaft t, and the trip u will raise the adjacent end of the lever o sufliciently to bring'the electrode w into contact with the electrode wz; but j ust when thehighest point on the cam-face r2 is in contact with the extension s of the arln s the high part of the side cam-face r3 comes into contact with the arm s and by its movement gives a turn to the shaft Z. This throws the trip u suddenly free from the lever t, and the spring o' immediately acts toA separate the electrodes and create a spark. As the shaft r continues to revolve the operation just described is repeated, each revolution of said shaft producing a powerful and'positive spark .which will. always insure the explosion of the gas.

l do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction illustrated and described in the above forms of my invention, as this may be varied and changed .without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In'an electric igniter for gasengines, the combination of a shaft, a cam on said shaft, said cam having a peripheral cam-face and a side cam-face, a rotary and longitudinallymovable shaft, said cam having said camfaces in operative relation with said movable shaft, electrodes, and connections between said movable shaft and said electrodes, whereby Contact is made and broken.

2. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination of a shaft, a cam on said shaft, said cam having a peripheral cam-face and a side cam-face, electrodes, tripping mechanism adapted to make and break-contact with said IOO IIO

electrodes, a rotary and lpngitudinallymow forth.

3. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination of a shaft, a cam on said shaft, said cam having a peripheral cam-face and a side cam-face, electrodes, a lever connected to one of said electrodes, a rotary and longitudinally-movable shaft, a trip in the path of said lever carried by said last-mentioned shaft, said cani having its cam-faces in operative relation with said movable shaft, substantially as set forth. i

4. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination of a shaft, a cam on said shaft, said cam having a peripheral cam-face and a side cam-face, electrodes, a lever connected to one of said electrodes, a rotary and longitudinally-movable shaft, a trip in the path of said lever carried b v said last-mentioned shaft, a rocker-arm on said shaft, said cam having its cam-faces in operative Contact with said rocker-arm, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric igniter for gas-engines, the combination of a shaft, a o am on said shaft, said cam having a peripheral cam-face and a side cam-face, electrodes, a lever connected to one of said electrodes, a rotary and longitudinally-movable shaft, a tripping-arm on said last-mentioned shaft, a trip on said arm in the path of said lever, a rocker-arm on said last mentioned shaft, said cam having its faces in operative contact with said rockerarrn, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said CHARLES O. CARLSON, have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES O. CARLSON.

Witnesses CHRIsr WEST, SAMUEL LoRING. 

